Generally, an removable media device such as that used for reading and storing information to electro-magnetic disk has a means to allow the user to eject the media from the device. Typically, the means is a button located on the external portion of the device. In most media drives, the ejection of the media cartridge from the device is accomplished electro-mechanically. As a consequence, an external eject button may have numerous electrical leads connected thereto on the internal portion of the device. The electrical leads transmit signals from the button to a microprocessor controller or other device that operates the mechanical ejection of the cartridge from the device.
Typically, a removable media device also provides a mechanism by which power to the device can be controlled. In a simple example, a button or switch may be provided on the external portion of the device by which the power to the device may be switched on and off. As with the eject button described above, an on/off power button may have numerous electrical leads connected thereto.
Modern removable storage devices have become much more sophisticated and now have the capability to operate at multiple power states beyond the traditional on/off modes. For example, a device may have a reduced power mode in which portions of the device do not receive electrical power while other portions of the same device continue to receive the necessary electrical voltage. It has been proposed that multiple power states may be controlled by multiple buttons located on the external surface area of the device.
The size of removable media devices has decreased significantly in recent years. The devices have been miniaturized to a point that there is limited space on the useful external surface of the devices on which to provide external controls such as an eject button and/or a power button. Further, the reduction in size of the devices has made it more difficult to connect the various internal wiring to the various external buttons and switches.
Additionally, it can become confusing to the operator of the media device to have multiple buttons for controlling various power states of the drive as well as an additional button to eject a cartridge from the device. Further, where there are multiple buttons, there is the likelihood that an operator may inadvertently depress the incorrect button.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a method and apparatus for controlling the ejection of a media cartridge from a media device as well as control the various power states in which the media device may operate.